Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

VPU vs XLG: how they differ

VPU and XLG hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLG returned more over the year.

Vanguard Utilities Index Fund and Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, VPU and XLG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in VPUOnly in XLG
NextEra Energy Inc 11.84%NVIDIA Corp. 13.10%
Southern Co/The 6.70%Apple Inc. 10.76%
Duke Energy Corp 6.31%Microsoft Corp. 8.18%
Constellation Energy Corp 5.86%Amazon.com, Inc. 6.99%
American Electric Power Co Inc 4.47%Alphabet Inc. 6.05%
Sempra 3.85%Broadcom Inc. 4.85%
Dominion Energy Inc 3.78%Alphabet Inc. 4.82%
Vistra Corp 3.59%Meta Platforms, Inc. 3.61%

Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.

VPU and XLG on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VPU
Vanguard Utilities Index Fund
XLG
Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssuerVanguardInvesco
What it isUtilitiesS&P 500 top 50
Total return, 1 year+2.1%+12.2%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500−15.4 pts−5.3 pts
Expense ratio0.09%0.20%
Already in the S&P 50090.1%100.0%
Holdings6651

VPU in plain words

VPU is an index equity fund tracking the Utilities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 66 positions, with the top ten at 52.7%. It sat 9.8% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

XLG in plain words

XLG is an index equity fund tracking the S&P 500 top 50. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 51 positions, with the top ten at 63.6%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, VPU or XLG?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VPU returned +2.1% and XLG returned +12.2%, so XLG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, VPU or XLG?
VPU charges 0.09% a year and XLG charges 0.20%, so VPU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do VPU and XLG overlap with the S&P 500?
By their latest filed holdings, 90% of VPU and 100% of XLG by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

VPU against XLG, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, VPU against XLG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/VPU-XLG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources